I Woke Up as the Villain

Early the next morning, Yu-Seong set off for his family home after getting himself mentally prepared.

‘Come to think of it, it's my first time going to my family home alone.’

Yu-Seong would always have someone accompany him, preferably Do-Yoon or Yu-Ri, as their presence helped him push away the emotions he still harbored about Woo-Jae. However, he now felt okay even without them around.

Having conquered his emotions on his own, he could walk toward his family's home without any burden.

‘Is it because I have successfully navigated through many crises, or could it be the assistance of my acquired skills?’

In fact, the reason behind this change did not matter. The important thing was that Yu-Seong was no longer weak either physically or mentally.

As he arrived in front of the massive mansion, Yu-Seong's eyes were drawn to the high wall. Ever since he had first seen it, the tall wall always reminded him of the image of a castle. In fact, this house was a fortress.

CCTV cameras and security guard personnel were stationed throughout the area, ready to respond to any intruders with malicious intent. This was regardless of whichever direction the possible intruders might choose to come from.

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Perhaps it was this atmosphere that intimidated Yu-Seong, who instinctively shrank back just from looking at the tall wall from the outside.

‘Today feels a bit different…’

But why would it feel different today? Yu-Seong noticed that the castle walls looked quite sturdy, but not scary. Soon understanding the reason behind this change, he chuckled to himself.

‘I now see it as within my reach.’

The fortress, that sturdy and intimidating castle, had come close enough for Yu-Seong to reach. It was no longer beyond his grasp.

‘I must survive.’

This was Yu-Seong's first goal, and he was proud that he had achieved it to a certain extent. Naturally, his second goal followed.

‘If I survive, I might as well survive well.’

Of course, he planned to do so to the best of his abilities. After all, greed could harm a person.

Yu-Seong took his eyes off the castle walls that he wanted and headed into the house.

***

There was a unique and somewhat acrid smell emanating from Woo-Jae's office. It was like the scent of old wood and books that one might find in an attic. While some people might find the scent unpleasant, Yu-Seong didn’t dislike it.

‘Rather, I’d say I like it.’

But today, as soon as he entered the office, he couldn't smell the familiar scent that he enjoyed. Instead, the strong scent of cosmetics and perfume pierced his nose.

Yu-Seong's gaze naturally turned to In-Young, who was sitting on a sofa in the office while being flanked by Seok-Young and Jin-Woo. She had on heavy eye makeup and red lips.

Their gazes met for a moment, and it felt like a sharp tension hung in the air. However, no one committed a rash act. The office had a strange scent today, but the heavy atmosphere that usually pressed down on the surroundings remained the same.

"Take a seat," said Woo-Jae, who was sitting lazily behind the desk in the center of the office.

"Yes, Father," replied Yu-Seong calmly as he sat on one of the spacious empty sofas.

"Wait and have a chat. Everyone will be here soon," said Woo-Jae before he started flipping through the book that was on his desk.

The ensuing silence was eventually broken by In-Young, the fifth oldest among the siblings, rather than the two eldest siblings, Jin-Woo and Seok-Young. She said, "How are you? You seem to be doing well.”

"...Thanks to you," Yu-Seong answered with a slight smile.

"I'm glad. I was worried because I haven't heard any news lately."

"Haha..."

In-Young was adopting a bold attitude for someone who had previously attempted to have him killed or kidnapped. Yu-Seong couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous act.

Tilting his head in amusement, Yu-Seong said, "By the way, I met the Vice President of the Heaven Guild.”

"Oh, I didn’t know you had a connection with him," answered In-Young.

"Thanks to you, we have a pretty deep connection now," Yu-Seong replied.

"I haven't seen him in a while. How is he doing?" asked In-Young.

"As you can see..." Yu-Seong shrugged and gestured to himself.

What did he mean by that? For a moment, In-Young's eyes narrowed sharply.

‘Min Young-Hoon… Is he dead?’

Or maybe he had managed to escape from Yu-Seong and survive.

‘It would be better if it were the latter. It would be too much of a waste to simply discard such a valuable asset.’

In-Young clearly had no idea that Young-Hoon had woken up from her Charm Skill, so she still secretly wished for him to be alive.

Just then, the closed door opened to reveal someone else entering the office.

"What, did you tell me to come slower for this interaction to happen?" Mi-Na openly asked Woo-Jae with a cold laugh.

"Isn't it interesting?" Woo-Jae smirked as he closed the book.

After hearing his father’s comment, Yu-Seong felt a chill running down his spine.

‘I knew something was off.’

Woo-Jae had instructed them to gather at 10 am, but only four people had come early. It was usually expected for the Choi family to arrive at least 30 minutes early to any meeting. It was now revealed that this had all been a part of Woo-Jae's plan from the beginning.

Amidst the hostile confrontation between the two, Woo-Jae had observed Yu-Seong and In-Young while listening in on their conversation. Although his eyes had remained fixed on the book, his senses had been fully attuned to his two children.

'Why the two of us?' 

As Yu-Seong was pondering, Mi-Na approached him and plopped down next to him. Then, she turned to In-Young and said coldly, "Watch your gaze, and lower your eyes.”

After Mi-Na spoke so brazenly, In-Young furrowed her brows and said, "We're in front of Father, sister. Don't you need to be careful about what you say?"

"Bullshit. Are you Father? Who are you to decide that?"

Meanwhile, Woo-Jae seemed oblivious to the situation with his eyes fixed on his book. It was impossible to read his thoughts.

Nevertheless, it worked out in Yu-Seong's favor, as Mi-Na's appearance was helping to partially keep In-Young in check.

‘I seem to be riding on her coattails, but it’s true that I’m quite close to Mi-Na noo-nim, so.’

Even this diversion of In-Young's gaze was a refreshing change.

Soon after, Min-Seok and Yeo-Reum also arrived at the office. Min-Seok, who hiccuped and made a comical expression upon seeing In-Young, eventually took a seat next to Yu-Seong. Naturally, In-Young's gaze narrowed. Fortunately for her, Yeo-Reum took a seat next to Seok-Young.

‘This is getting interesting.’ 

It felt like the siblings were taking sides in a fight. The already heavy atmosphere became even more oppressive.

Click.

Then, the door clicked open once again and, with the rolling of a wheelchair, announced the arrival of someone. Upon seeing the newly-arrived man’s face, Jin-Woo couldn't hide his emotions and furrowed his brow deeply.

Yu-Seong couldn't help but show a broad smile of delight. "Ji-Ho hyung-nim!"

"Long time no see," responded Ji-Ho.

“Everyone has arrived,” Woo-Jae said.

Before they could exchange pleasantries any further, Woo-Jae spoke up loudly and closed his book. He stated, "I didn't call the youngest here.”

Woo-Jae didn't want to force her into this harsh world, as she was still a student and simply wanted to live a normal life.

‘She can take care of herself.’ 

As Woo-Jae briefly remembered the face of his youngest child, who had said she would give up everything to live her own life, his gaze turned toward Ji-Ho.

Ji-Ho had arrived by rolling his electric wheelchair to stand next to Yu-Seong.

Four and four, excluding the deceased Byung-Chan and the absent youngest, the number of people on each side was evenly matched. However, this made it uncomfortable for In-Young.

‘How did it come to this?’ 

Woo-Jae, who inwardly clicked his tongue, put on a pleasant smile. Just as everyone's attention was fixed on him, he dropped a bombshell that he had prepared. He announced loudly, “I'll enter the Tower of Heaven tomorrow.”

Everyone, except for Ji-Ho, who already knew what Woo-Jae was going to say, was shocked by the unexpected news. The prospect of their father entering the Tower of Heaven couldn't be taken lightly, as it wasn't a simple matter of his own growth. It meant that the absolute authority figure of the household would disappear, and those who had previously been constrained by his presence could now freely pursue whatever they had failed to before. Furthermore, this gathering of siblings for scheming clearly indicated Woo-Jae's intentions.

‘He’s trying to solidify the succession scheme!’ 

Woo-Jae had been silently observing his children being in competition with one another, but now he had decided to drive a wedge between In-Young and Yu-Seong, who were both at the center of it all.

‘Why not Mi-Na noo-nim or Ji-Ho hyung-nim?’ 

Although Yu-Seong had recently made significant progress, there were still many areas in which he was lacking compared to the other two. In-Young shared the same thoughts and looked at Woo-Jae.

"I won't go alone," said Woo-Jae as he leaned forward and continued his announcement. "Kim Secretary is going, and so is Mi-Na."

This was an even more shocking statement than when Woo-Jae had declared that he was entering the Tower of Heaven.

‘Mi-Na noo-nim is going too?’

This turn of events would tilt the power balance heavily. Although Yu-Seong trusted his somewhat overbearing hyung-nim and noona-nim, he couldn't help but be bewildered.

"...I've never heard of that," said Mi-Na, wearing a ridiculous expression.

"This is not a suggestion, Mi-Na," Woo-Jae replied firmly.

Mi-Na's expression hardened. Despite being the only child known for standing up against Woo-Jae, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to rebel against him in this particular situation. After all, it was undeniable that the will of Woo-Jae held the greatest significance within the family.

"We leave tomorrow morning. Any comments?" Woo-Jae asked.

"No, sir," Yu-Seong replied.

“Me too,” said In-Young.

“...Sure,” Mi-Na responded.

The rest of the siblings accepted the situation without saying a word, knowing that the decision had already been made.

Yu-Seong, as always, tried to think of the best way to handle the situation.

‘If Mi-Na noo-nim isn't there, then my only official support will be Ji-Ho hyung-nim…’

In-Young, on the other hand, still had many people she could rely on. She tried to hide her laughter as she thought about how Woo-Jae was supporting her.

"Now, all of you, leave the room," Woo-Jae commanded.

With that, In-Young and her group were the first to leave the office. Only when they were further away did Yu-Seong stand up from his seat. Although he couldn't quite discern Woo-Jae's thoughts, there wasn't much time for preparation. He only had one day, after all. The time given was too short, and there was much to be done.

"Then, I'll take my leave as well," Yu-Seong said as he tried to leave quietly.

As he was leaving, Woo-Jae's voice followed him.

"This is the final test," Woo-Jae said.

What did that mean? Woo-Jae was giving In-Young an advantageous position while cheering Yu-Seong on.

‘Yeah, that's the kind of person he is.’

Woo-Jae was a person who gave more rice cakes to the child he disliked. [1] Perhaps even Yu-Seong's thoughts were a part of Woo-Jae's plan. Nevertheless, it didn't bother Yu-Seong, as Woo-Jae was a person who always kept his word.

‘The final test.’

With this, Yu-Seong could become the clear successor of the Comet family. Perhaps this was something that had already been discussed with Mi-Na and Ji-Ho.

After organizing his thoughts, Yu-Seong spoke while recalling the high fortress wall he had seen before entering his family home. He said with a wry smile, "I won't disappoint you.”

Then, with Woo-Jae’s smirk and hand gesture, Yu-Seong left the room. Ji-Ho also followed behind Yu-Seong, bowing slightly toward Woo-Jae as he left.

1. This Korean idiom implies that even though you may dislike someone, you should still treat them with kindness and generosity. ☜